


Humanoids

by scionavarielle



Category: Football RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Future, Alternate Universe - Robots & Androids, Ambiguous Relationships, Future Fic, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-11
Updated: 2015-05-11
Packaged: 2018-03-30 02:36:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,876
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3919714
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scionavarielle/pseuds/scionavarielle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What would you have if you put a scientist, depression, and lost in one sentence?</p><p>a complimentary for<a href="http://archiveofourown.org/works/3705351/chapters/8678038"> this</a> drabble</p>
            </blockquote>





	Humanoids

What would you have if you put a scientist, depression, and lost in one sentence?

Exactly what you would read soon.

.

.

Mats inserts the chip to the monitor and soon a clip is shown on it. He leans on the sofa, making himself comfortable to watch the video, just an 'amateur' recording which held so many memories for him. He recalls the first time when he met _him_ , when he _met_ Erik.

.

.

Mats found Erik annoying the first moment he met the lad. Erik was assigned as Mats’ assistant since his previous one has just ‘quitted’. Mats couldn’t take the inquisitive mind – the never ending question of what, why, how, if and the rest – the puppy looks from the lad and of course, Mats didn’t like _at all_ how Erik would always smile all day even after Mats being grumpy.

What is Mats’ job, you ask? To short, Mats is a scientist, working under the government to ‘provide’ a better future for the people. Mats snorts at that whenever he could. He knows very well that the one being ‘provided’ is not the people – it never _is_. However, as long as he’s fed and being paid, one could never complain. After all, he’s not some sort of a _hero_ anyway.

Alright, back to Erik now. The lad, as usual, would give a morning coffee for Mats because Erik has learnt that a no morning coffee day for Mats ends up with the scientist being grumpy all day and not _productive_. It will usually take Marco – Mats’ colleague – to somehow ‘knock’ some sense to Mats as Marco usually says.

The scientist has also learnt that if he gives a precise detail of job to be done by Erik, the lad would do fine and would stop asking more questions. Mats also realizes a direct answer is better than to just ignore the lad. Marco sometimes has to remind Mats that Erik was Mats’ assistant and pupil and therefore Mats has to be responsible for Erik’s _needs_ of knowledge.

Mats is never good in teaching anyway, but apparently it’s a requirement from the government because as he quoted from the government, “Human’s life is short and therefore the knowledge has to be inherited.” It’s not only Mats, Marco also has a pupil, a lad by the name of Julian and it seems like, unlike Mats, Marco has formed a good bond with the pupil. After all, Marco is not the one with 9 _ex-_ pupils who asked to quit after one month of _hell_ – as they said.

However, Erik just broke the record by staying for almost 3 months without complaining. If anything, the guy would always smile and did as he was told to do, something Mats found less annoying. In fact, Mats has to admit that Erik was far annoying that he first thought. He enjoyed the guy’s opinion about the research, sometimes he reconsidered the opinion and they would share their thoughts. Mats enjoys that. Even though there were some lack of experiences and data, Erik sometimes pointed out the important stuff and Mats was glad of that. Together, both of them have finished almost twice than Mats could achieve by himself.

Marco noticed that and told Mats how happy he was for the changing. If Marco mentioned that Mats might have something that the blonde (Marco) had with Julian, Mats didn’t say a thing.

.

.

He could recall the moment, the turning point of everything. It starts out simple, Mats thought. He had a bad day before, something that his research didn’t turn out as well as he thought should be. To add it all, Erik also forgot his morning coffee.

.

.

“How could you not do something so simple as to bring my coffee?!” He shouted at the young man in front of him. Erik looked nervous and Mats could care less of the attention they are having in the lab. They had their own job and they should be more wary of that than _this._

“Answer me!” He yelled again when there’s no answer from Erik. It irritated him that Erik looked so _lost_ , like a _puppy_ who just accidentally spilled a coffee on his master’s newspaper. “Fuck, are you mute? WHERE’S MY MORNING COFFEE?”

“I- I’m sorry,” Erik bows many times, avoiding Mats’ glares. “I – I woke up late, I –“

“You woke up what? Late? I could not take any excuse like that! If you can’t be given something so simple as your responsibility then you might as well _quit_ being my assistant. You’re so useless.” Mats knew he would _regret_ it (oh he had already regretted it when he saw Erik’s expression – helpless and so sad).

“Mats, calm down.” It is Marco who touched his shoulder and gain back his logical side. He didn’t – couldn’t – say sorry because he just _didn’t_. Instead, he turned his back and walked away. “Don’t follow me,” he hissed. It’s just a simple warning and Marco knew all too well than disobeyed that.

Mats decided to take his day off. Besides, he’s not sure he could face Erik just then, he needed to calm himself down before bursting again.

The next morning came faster than he expected. He got back to his work side and didn’t find Erik. Maybe the boy was taking his rest, Mats thought. Or maybe the boy was giving the scientist some time first. Mats shrugged it off and continued his job, ignoring the stares from some of the other scientists when he had his lunch with Marco and Julian.

One day became two and then it became week before Mats admitted to himself that Erik, just like his 9 ex-pupils – quitted. Funny, how he finally missed the short steps trailing him or the questions throwing at him. He scoffs. He’s not _missing_ Erik at all, he just found it _weird_ that there’s no one in the room except himself now. Just that.

But when it became one month, Mats knew that this was _more_ than just the bizarre feeling, it’s the _longing_. He rejected all assistants who have been offered to him. He wanted to ask Per – the admin – about Erik’s whereabouts but always stopped himself, until that one month, he finally thought of asking the question.

“Oh? You didn’t know? Erik caught the _Rez_ virus ever since he was a child and to be quite honest, it’s a surprise that he has _survived_ until now. After _your_ accident,” Per quoted, ”It seems that his sickness got worse and so he had to be treated in hospital. They _tried_ their best of course, but,” Per sighs. Even if the admin didn’t continue the rest, Mats could already know the rest.

Erik has _passed away_ and the last thing Mats said to the lad was, “ _you’re so useless_.” How cruel could he be? He asked Per about Erik’s _place_ , the funeral and such. Thankfully Per was being cooperative and provided every detail that Mats needed. Since he couldn’t do _this_ alone, he dragged Marco and explained that to the blonde.

Apparently Marco _had_ known and how Mats could restrain himself from shouting out why Marco didn’t tell him, he didn’t know. All he could remember was that he _needed – wanted_ to see Erik’s body before the Last Preparation.

.

.

Mats came right in time, he remembered. Before the Celest – a person in charge for the Last Preparation – finished the funeral, Mats barged in. If he came a little late, Mats didn’t know what would happen to him. He asked for a last look at Erik before Erik was being taken. The Celest and Erik’s family agreed to that.

He was left alone with Erik’s body in the room. He took his time, hesitantly reached Erik’s cheeks, rubbing those cheeks. The used to be red-colored cheeks now all pale. The once warm body was now cold. The eyes that always filled with eagerness were empty. Mats felt a pang – a hurt – inside and he didn’t need to be smart like he was to understand the pain as something called _lost_.

His body trembles and before he realized it, his tears slowly rolled down, some fell onto Erik’s pale face. Leaning down while crying and shaking, he pulled up Erik and circled his hands around the cold body. He can only hug the lifeless body, unwilling to reciprocate his hug. It’s more than heartbreaking. If there could be anyone who saw it, a pitiful look would be there.

Because in the middle of the empty room, with only Mats and Erik’s body, only the sobbing sound and a faint of ‘ _I’m sorry’_ and ‘ _I love you_ ’ could be heard.

.

.

He remembered the chaos afterwards. How he bowed down to Erik’s family to take care of his body. He couldn’t explain why. He’s not crazy, he’s not some necromonger or even an alchemist or whatever the fetish is called to have things for dead bodies. No, he’s just some scientist who works for the government. He’s not even a biologist, like Marco said. He didn’t know why he would want to keep Erik back then but he _knows_ he had to.

It took a little more than persuasion and promises before finally he could have Erik. He brought the lad home – to his huge and empty apartment. He laid Erik down on his guest room’s bed, providing pillow and blanket.

(Looking back at that, Mats thinks how silly he was to ever think of _putting some blanket_ ).

.

.

After that, Mats was inside his lab, didn’t get out unless for his morning coffee and food. Sometimes, even Marco had to be the one to bring the food inside when Mats didn’t get out all day. Marco didn’t know what Mats was doing and Mats was thankful that the blonde didn’t ask because he’s not sure of himself either.

He whined in frustration. He didn’t know what the _failure was_ and it’s so exasperating. Staring at the _machines_ in _human structure_ in front of him, Mats sighs. He had managed to sketch Erik’s face and not long the skin would be done and the human-structure machine would soon have its own human skin – Erik’s one. The face would be Erik and Mats had made sure to draw Erik’s face carefully, every detail was there. He didn’t want to use some technologies to do that because –

He couldn’t find the reason, he just knew that he _had to_ , again.

Thank God that he was gifted so it was nothing to draw Erik’s face. What made it hard was to find the right skin colored and the material. Everything had to be perfect. _This_ was Erik, after all.

The outer look, the face, the skin, the hand, the each part of the human – Erik’s – body were finished flawlessly. However, now the hard part was the _inside_. Mats could build a new _android_ , a _humanoid_ like many scientists have made before. But that’s not what Mats wants. He wants a _real humanoid_.

Something that would reply back to him, talking to him other than just being _programmed_ to because Mats didn’t – couldn’t – _program_ Erik. It’s hard because he had to find the equation, the combinations of so many codes and if he’s not facing these stuffs almost everyday, he believed that he would explode anytime soon.

The first one was a _failure_. The movement was too stiff, unlike human.

The second one’s bit better, except that instead of replying Mats, this one gave another question and question.

The third one knew how to respond, how to stop talking, but just that, a robot with the thought of _serving_ its master. This was not Erik.

And it goes on and on, the failure was there and Mats couldn’t grasp what was wrong. It infuriated him more than ever. He had never felt so _disappointed_ in himself before.

.

.

It was when Marco came to Mats’ lab one day, Mats found a revelation.

“You didn’t go out and interact with others for almost three months now. I know you’re doing something, but I respect you and didn’t ask, but now it irks me. What _actually are you doing_?”  Of course, Mats still did his work, reporting his progress on his research while doing his experiments at the same time. It would be too much for some, but Mats could take it just because.

Mats was sitting down, heads leaned up, eyes staring at the ceiling. His 14th experiments have failed him yet again. “Mats, answer me.” Marco’s voice rang again and Mats finally sighed. Sooner or later his friend would ask and he had to explain it anyway. So he did that. He told Marco about everything, from the first experiment to the last, the unsuccessful experiments, everything, even his efforts.

“Of course it won’t work, stupid!” Marco yelled in frustration. Mats jumped, startled by the sudden outburst. “You’re not trying to _make_ a _humanoid_ , you’re trying to _create_ Erik, a _human being_ , who has long passed away. No matter what you do, _this_ thing – (Marco pointed at the 14th experiment which had been shut down) – _is_ a _thing_. Stop killing yourself in this stuff and just _move on_. I swear if anything, you’ll probably consider to put Erik’s organs back to this thing.”

“Wait, what?” Mats was suddenly interested with what he had just heard. Something that slipped his mind, something he should have been considering to do. “What did you just say?” He asked Marco again. His hands both on Marco’s shoulders, shaking the blonde furiously.

“That you should stop killing yourself?” Marco asked hesitantly.

“No, not that one, the last one!” Mats shouted.

Marco opened his mouth, unsure if he should be saying this, but nevertheless he did. “The thing about putting Erik’s organs?”

“That’s it! That’s what I’ve been missing!” Mats hugged Marco afterwards, giving a peck to both Marco’s cheeks while the blonde was still dumbfounded. Like a madman, Mats quickly ran out from the room, leaving a speechless Marco.

For whatever it’s worth, Marco – after finally regained back his consciousness – prayed that Mats wouldn’t do whatever he _thought_ the man was going to do.

.

.

Oh but Marco, Mats did exactly as that, well not really exactly. He didn’t really put all the organs inside, besides they were all not working anyway. But Marco just gave some insight to Mats. Of course, the experiments are a _failure_.

(But if you were living in that era and saw what Mats had made, you wouldn’t really say that it’s a failure).

He _made_ it when he should be putting some stuffs, not _creating_ , but _providing_. He should have thought of that. A memory. If the humanoid thinks himself as human, most importantly Erik, than it – he – would do as so.

How could he not realize that?

That is what he is doing right now. The microchip on the monitor is the records of Erik’s data, information, _especially_ Erik’s memory.

(He had to beg Sami from the neurologist to help him to gather Erik’s memory from the brain. It took some time – two days actually – before finally Sami agreed to help because Mats has succeeded in persuading Mesut to help him. And Mats knows how Sami is weak to Mesut’s pleading.)

So now, Mats looks at the monitor again. It was there, the memories, their first meeting, the first time Mats praised the young lad, how Erik laughed – everything. Mats knows that this will be risky. He would not just do any ordinary humanoid for fuck sake. He is too late to back up anyway.

With a final determination, Mats closes his eyes for a while before retrieving the microchip back and holds it like it’s something so precious – it is. He stares at the humanoid look in front of him. _It_ has Erik’s face – pouty lips, oval face, little chubby cheeks, eyes sparkled in greenish. Now _it_ only needs the final touch.

He puts the microchip inside the hole behind Erik’s neck. He takes a step breath. Now it’s the time to pray – if ever God would hear him. The _thing_ – Erik – blinked _its_ – his – eyes many times. Mats smiles, hopefully.

“M – Mats?” When he heard his name being called, Mats couldn’t really describe the happiness that washes over him. The Erik – humanoid looks confused, eyes wandering around and Mats feels like _this_ is working. Maybe – _maybe._

“You must be surprised,” Mats coughs to gain Erik’s attention. The lad always looks so curious. Mats chuckles at that. “Hi, Hello, my name is Mats and you are –“ Mats stops for a while, thinking on how to do this, but decides that he should at least a bit professional. “You are ER-1K.” Oh yeah, right, you’re so creative Mats, he could imagine Marco snickers at that name. “But we can call you Erik. You’ll learn lots of things.” He smiles reassuringly and he hopes that Erik would feel a bit better.

“I’ll be _teaching_ you, don’t worry.” He stretches his hand, slowly reaches for the young lad. To his delight, Erik leans closer to that hand, seemingly looking forward to it as well. When he feels the warmth at their touch, Mats has never felt so happy that he could burst out in tears. “So, welcome Erik, welcome to your new _home_.”

( _Welcome back)._

_._

_._

 

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you guys think of this :)


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